“As any investor in Apple knows (by now), the company REALLY REALLY wants to be in the TV space,” The Entertainment Oracle writes for Seeking Alpha. “While reported meetings with networks haven’t panned out and alternative methods to lure consumers (i.e. Virtual TV Guide) haven’t been met with the same level of excitement, Apple hasn’t given up. Yet its team clearly knows nothing will match the idea of streaming (potentially) a skinny bundle.”

“Well that in the traditional form is still seemingly a ways off. However, according to Re/Code, the executives over at Apple may have another idea in mind and it’s an interesting play. Reports have surfaced Apple now wants to do a premium skinny bundle that consists solely of HBO, Showtime and Starz,” TEO writes. “Effectively, the big three of pay-TV.”

“Apple is likely looking to send a message to the industry. Keep in mind cable/satellite subscribers usually can’t just outright buy a channel like HBO; they have to be a subscriber to a package of channels and then add-on a premium network,” TEO writes. “If Apple is successful here what that does is it slowly takes a little bit of power away from the cable/satellite companies – not a ton, but enough that it chips away at an already delicate position.”

APPLE is always looking at the LONG game – seems MDN readers are forgetting that and at the same time their just a bit burnt – DO IT RIGHT then ship! – MDN this is your mantra yet you keep forgetting that… STOP WHINING! all you crybabies out there, if you want a windows machine good luck with that. smirk!

While I would agree with the sentiment, some times shipping after DOING IT RIGHT gives the competition loads of time to ship something that does “enough of it right” first and dominate the market for years.

If they are seriouse then they should do all they can to have me put Apple Tv on my tvs Input 1. Make it my primery portal.

For that to happen… ( besides access to all current network programing and HBOs and alike ) i want an interface that is coherent and consistant .. not the fragmented mess it is now where each app is in its own UI universe.
What happened to the notion of predictability = efficacy …( same problem with the touch bar on mackbook)

I want a UI in which i can consolidate and centralize all my favorite programing and get alerts/notification when new content is availible.. rather than go hunting in this fragmented and decentralized jungle of apps …so that maybe i will run across a new favorite content…. if i remember where to look that is…..

I want better content discovery and AI personalization .

Apple TV UI to me is shallow and not very well thought out..
too many holes.

You want to send a message…
Get it right … dont push a half or less baked product on us.

Seems Amazon currently has a product called Amazon Channels that allow you to subscribe to HBO ($14.99), Showtime ($8.99), Starz ($8.99) and more and unify the interface under Amazon Video. The other option of downloading separate Apps for each channel also is possible if you already have a cable subscription to those channels but unfortunately wouldn’t be integrated into the Amazon Video UI. If Apple comes out with a similar service that bundles those 3 channels and has a single interface the price to beat will be about $33/month.

Buying Disney would serve exactly what good purpose other than putting all the sports gossips of ESPN on the Apple Payroll? ESPN is in decline as America finally may have passed peak Sports Gossip. Nothing is more entertaining than watching a vacuum headed woman gossip about Football or the NBA, right?

Then there is ABC, does anybody even watch ABC anymore?

Then Disney, so PC and sugary sweet it will give you diabetes just watching.